Pressuretight seal



Sept. 28, 1954 c. D. YOUNG 2,690,360

PRESSURE TIGHT SEAL Filed April 17, 1 951 INVENTOR. CLAUDE D. YOUNG ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 28, 1954 PRESSURETIGHT SEAL Claude D. Young, Foxboro, Mass assignor to The Foxboro Company, Foxboro, Mass a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 17, 1951, Serial No. 221,367

1 Claim. 1

invention relates to fluid. pressure sealin devices and. has particular reference to ring fluid pressure sealing devices.

It is an object of this invention to provide new and improved fluid pressure sealing O ring devices.

It is a' further object to provide new and improved. means for fluid pressure sealing a rotatable shaft.

Specifically disclosed herein as an illustrative application of this invention, is a pressure recording instrument with a rotatable shaft for transmitting recording movement from a high pressure area to a low pressure area through an instrument housing, with the rotatable shaft sealed against fluid pressure in accordance with this invention.

It is important, in such a shaft seal, to have a minimum of frictional torque on the shaft as between the seal and the shaft, in order that the recording movement, even if low powered, may be transmitted freely and accurately. Further, it is important to have a seal which avoids undesirable increased frictional torque on the shaft due to deformation of the O ring under pressure. Also, it is desirable to have a seal assembly which is inexpensive and simple to manufacture, and which may be readily disassembled for replacement of any part thereof.

It will be seen that these features are provided in structures embodying this invention.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. These objects and advantages are attained by the novel apparatus described in the following specification, and they may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure I is an elevation, in partial section, of a pressure operated recording flowmeter, as an illustration of an application embodying this invention;

Figure II is a sectional view of Figure I, taken as on line'-IIII in Figure I, in illustration of the mechanical connections in the recording movement system of theflowmeter;

Figure In is an enlarged perspective, in partial section, of a pressuretight bearing assembly embodying this invention Figure IV is a vertical central section of a pressuretight bearing unit of this invention, as indicated atIV inFigurelII and" Figure V illustrates an altern'ative' structure,

2 in a showing comparable to a central fragment of Figure IV;

The instrument Referring to Figure I, the instrument shown is a common mercury manometer. Such an instrument is customarily associated with a pipe line (not shown), to measure flow therein. The usual orifice plate is placed in the pipe, a high pressure tap is taken on the upstream side of the orifice plate, and a low pressure tap is taken on the downstream side. These taps are connected to the manometer, as will be described.

The manometer comprises, generally, a high pressure float chamber unit II], a low pressure range chamber unit II, and a connection pipe I2, joining the lower portions of these units. A recording unit I3 is secured to the high pressure unit Ill. The high pressure tap from the pipe line is connected to the unit ID, as at I4, and the low pressure tap is connected to the unit I I, as at I5.

Within the two units, a body of mercury I6 is free to move in and between the units in a representation of the pressure differential created by the orifice plate, with this pressure differential a function of the flow in the pipe line.

Within the high pressure unit II], a float I'I' moves up and down with the mercury level, and this movement is translated into rotary movement in a shaft I8, through a chain connected bracket and sector arrangement, as shown in Figures I and II. Details of this connection are not pertinent to this invention, but may be fully understood by reference to Patent No. 1,686,263 to Edgar H. Bristol, dated October 2, 1928. The shaft I8 is the subject of the pressuretight seal of this-invention, as the shaft is extended from within the high pressure unit Ill, through the wall thereof and into the recording unit I3, where atmospheric pressure prevails.

Within the recording unit I3, the rotary movement of the shaft I8 is translated into arcuate movement of a pen arm I9, in a plane perpendicular to the drawing, over a chart on a chart support 20. As a means of reducing the torque on the shaft I8, it is mounted in outer end engagement with a hardened steel insert 2 I, through an end bearing ball 22 on the outer, atmospheric pressure end of the shaft.

The pressuretight assembly Referring to Figure I, the rotatable shaft I8 is a part of a pressuretight assembly 23, mounted in an openin 24 in the wall of the high pressure unit II) as the means of extending the shaft I8 3 through the wall of the unit under pressure seal conditions. The assembly 23 is secured to the unit in in a manner to be explained herein in connection with Figure III.

Figure III shows the pressuretight assembly 23 with an elongated housing 25 through which the shaft l8 extends. The housing 25 is generally cylindrical, with a central, greater diameter portion 25 to fit closely in the opening 24 of the high pressure unit It. At One end of the raised portion 26 an annular groove 21 is provided, with an O ring 28 therein. The O ring may be formed of synthetic rubber suitable for exposure without harm, to wide temperature ranges and a substantial variety of chemicals. Beyond the annular groove 27, the greatest diameter 29 of the housing 25 is provided, with a side face Bil, facing the ring 28 and extending away therefrom in a conical taper.

The manner of securing the whole assembly 23 to the unit in is indicated by a showing, in Figure III, of a fragment of the unit it and a fragment of a securing nut 3!, in position of assembly with respect to the assembly 123. In the unit [0, the opening 24 is provided with a shoulder 32 against which the taper face 36, of the pressuretight assembly, is forced by tightening the securing nut 3| againstthe diameter 29 through a threaded connection between the securing nut 3| and the housing iii. The combination of the contact between the shoulder and the taper face 30, and the 0 ring 28, provides a very effective rigid connection pressure tight seal.

The seal with which this invention is more particularly concerned is within the housing 25, between the rotatable shaft 58 and the inner wall of the housing. The inner configuration of the housing is cylindrical, with a reduced diameter at each end of the housing. Located within each of these reduced diameters is a pressuretight unit, as indicated at 33 and 3 3. The construction and assembly of these units is detailed in Figure IV. It is within the concept of this invention that, for certain applications, a single pressure tight unit may be used at one end of the housing, with an ordinary bearing at the other end.

Further, whether one or both pressuretight units are used, it is desirable in some applications to use a foreign matter seal in the form of a grease filler 35, Figure IV, within the housing 25, between the pressure tight, or bearing units 33 and 34. For convenience of illustration, grease is shown in Figure IV but not in Figure III. A

. useful grease for this purpose may be a silicone grease made by the use of lithium soap. The torque factor with respect to the rotatable shaft i8 is an important consideration in the use of grease in this manner. The torque must be kept at a minimum. The eifect of the contact of the grease with the inner wall of the housing, as the shaft is rotated, must be considered, as well as the possibility of undesirable shear effects within the grease itself, at different diameters. If the grease, in composition and volume, is selected with these factors in mind, it will be useful as a seal against dirt and other foreign matters without undesirably increasing the torque on the rotatable shaft.

For details of the pressure tight units 33 and 34, reference is made particularly to Figure IV, and also to the showing in Figure III. Units 33 and 3d are identical, so only unit 33 is shown in Figure IV.

The rotatable shaft I extends through the housing 25, along the axis thereof. There is no metal to metal contact between the shaft l8 and any part of the pressuretight assembly 23. The only supporting contacts between the shaft l8 and the assembly are at longitudinally central portions of each pressuretight unit, through plastic 0 rings 36, one in each unit. As in Figure IV, the 0 ring 36 is concentric with the shaft 18 and has its inner periphery closely fitted to the shaft 58. As will be explained later herein, these 0 rings are closely and substantially completely confined, and restricted against any appreciable bodily movement in any direction.

A preferred material for the plastic 0 rings 36 is polymerized tetrafluoroethylene. "Teilon is such a plastic. This material is very stable over a wide range of temperatures and it withstands the attack of many chemicals. Thus the pressuretight assembly of this invention may be used without harm in any of a great variety of industrial applications. Even more important is the characteristic that exceptionally heavy loads are required to force this material through narrow openings. As shown in Figure IV, the structure of this invention confines the O ring except for a narrow opening 31 about the shaft I8.

Another factor of importance is that the plastic 0 ring has a somewhat soapy surface, providing a bearing surface which has little or no need for externally supplied lubricant.

The bearing unit comprises two cylindrical sleeves 38 and 39, clamped end to end and against an inner shoulder 39 of the housing 25. A threaded closure is mounted in the end of the housing 25, for this purpose. An opening 40' is provided in the closure it to permit the passage of the rotatable shaft l8 therethrough with substantial clearance. The cylindrical sleeves 33 and 39 fit closely within the housing 25, and are provided with outer annular grooves 42 and 43. Within these grooves are synthetic rubber 0 rings Aid and 65 in pressure and foreign matter sealing relation between the sleeves 38 and 39 and the inner wall of the housing 25.

The sleeves 38 and 39 are provided with cooperating configurations so as to form, between them, an annular recess it for receiving the plastic 0 ring 36. The recess 45 is formed in substantially complete conformity with the at rest, i. e., prior to application of pressure load, contours and dimensions of the 0 ring. The recess 46 is formed to substantially completely encompass the 0 ring, confining it against appreciable bodily movement in any direction. Only a small, inner peripheral strip of the 0 ring is exposed as a sealing and bearing surface. The sleeves 38 and 39 have, generally, an inner diameter which gives substantial clearance to the shaft l8, but this diameter is reduced adjacent the plastic 0 ring, as at 37, to provide a narrow opening as the only escape, along the shaft i8, for the O ring under pressure. Further this reduced diameter provides a solid backing for the shaft It as a safety factor under shock conditions.

A small clearance may be provided throughout the O ring recess 26 to allow for flow of the O ring under pressure without undesirably increasing the torque on the shaft It. An 0 ring recess with such a clearance, as well as one with the form shown in Figure V, is considered to be in substantially complete conformity with the at rest contours and dimensions of the 0 ring.

Figure V illustrates a variation of the plastic 0 ring containing recess, here indicated as having an annular main portion 4'! and an annular secondary portion 48. The main portion 47 confines and encompasses the O ring in like manner with the recess 46 of Figure IV, except that the confinement and dimensions may be closer, if desired. The secondary recess portion 48 provides a space for the 0 ring to flow into, under pressure, without undesirably increasing the torque on the shaft [8.

This invention thus provides a new and improved pressuretight O ring seal, and particularly, a new and improved pressuretight O ring seal for a rotatable shaft, with a low torque factor on the shaft, and with complete and ready interchangeability of all parts of the assembly by th simple removal of end closure members.

I claim:

A. pressuretight bearing assembly comprising an elongated housing, a rotatable shaft extending through said housing, and a pressuretight hearing unit at each end of said housing for supporting said shaft in said housing, each of said bearing units comprising a two part bearing support, said parts having cooperating contours forming an inner annular recess, a plastic 0 ring bear- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 845,085 Hicks Feb. 26, 1907 2,462,596 Bent Feb. 22, 1949 2,479,711 Arutunofr" Aug. 29, 19 19 2,570,117 Hallstrand Oct. 2, 1951 2,593,193 Rockwell Apr. 15, 1952 2,615,763 Wolford Oct. 28, 1952 2,621,885 Schmitt Dec. 16, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Taylor Technology, Taylor Instrument 00., autumn 1949, vol. 2, No. 2, page 17. 

